Ministry to Persecuted Believers (Acts 12:1-17)
Persecution of Christians spans the pages of church history. For centuries believers have faced persecution for their faith. While mainstream media rarely cover events of persecution, it is happening every day throughout the world. Americans got a glimpse of persecution when eight Christian aid workers were arrested in
Even in our nation Christians have felt the pain of persecution in school, community, and work settings. Persecution is a reality that is growing. Both Scripture and history inform us it will continue. We must learn to minister in persecution.
Crisis Confronts the Church (vv. 1-4) After the persecution and death of Stephen, the two key leaders of the church were imprisoned. James was killed, but Peter was delivered. Why did it happen? First, consider the explainable nature of crises. Because we live in a world affected by the fall, varying crises are inevitable. Evil people, whose intentions parallel their natures, oppose the work of God (Rom. Crises also have an unexplainable nature. As the redeemed of the Lord, believers can be assured that God is for us (Rom. What the church learned through this process is that we are to trust in the hand of God, regardless of whether we understand. The Lord’s sustaining and governing of His universe is not suspended when His children meet with unexpected and untimely trouble (Ps. 97). Unexplainable crises—the kinds of circumstances we would never invite on our own, such as persecution—become occasions to learn to rest in the wisdom and goodness of our Lord. The distinguishing mark of Christians facing crises is hope—a confident expectation that the world does not know or understand (1 Pet. 1:3-9; Phil. The Church Must Respond to Crisis (vv. 5-17) Persecution affects the entire church because of our relationships to one another in the body of Christ. What confronts one confronts all. The grand oneness of the church becomes apparent particularly in times of opposition and persecution. So how is the church to respond when persecution arises? On an individual level we find Peter handling his arrest and persecution with peace. With strange humor Peter sleeps so soundly on the night prior to the intended execution that the angel has difficulty arousing him! Peter had been in jail before for the sake of the gospel, and in the crucible of trials he learned to trust the Lord (see chapters 4–5).[1] As members of the body of Christ, we do not stand alone! Persecution and crises provide opportunities for Christians to come together for fellowship, encouragement, acceptance, worship, and instruction from God’s Word. The gathering of believers in the home of John Mark sustained the persecuted believers. The highlight of their gathering was prayer. The oneness of the church can be seen in prayer being offered “by the church to God” (v. 5). God’s people are to agree together in prayer (Phil. 2:2; Col. 4:2). The prayer was made to God (v. 5). They did not appeal to Herod or picket the Sanhedrin for better treatment. They relied on the Heavenly Father for care in the time of need. While believers may rightly use political means in securing basic rights, we cannot rely on government to solve spiritual problems. The prayer of these believers was intense; the Greek implies “tight or strained.” Arrows are best shot from a tight bowstring. They prayed so that their minds and wills would be in harmony with the will of God. Surely their prayers were twofold. They prayed for Peter’s needs and that he would be able to handle the trial before him. Additionally, they were probably praying for themselves and the church, as they were preparing themselves for the possibility of church life without Peter’s leadership. As they prayed, suddenly Peter was at the door and then standing before them. No wonder they were surprised! The church in Times of crisis provide opportunities for Christians to demonstrate that their hope is in Christ, not in this world, and that the gospel affects our present lives, not just eternity. In our fallen world, crises will come. But be assured that God has raised up His people for such a time as this, to show forth the glory of our Redeemer in transformed lives. CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES WEB SITES Return to the Introduction: Ministry in Times of Crisis (A Sermon Series) [1] Note that 1 Peter. 1:3-9,13-16 shows (a) the reality of trials, verse 6, (b) the purpose of trials, verses 7-9, and (c) the preparation for trials, verses 13-16.
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